Happy Easter

Happy Easter 🐣 how much chocolate have you had today?

I love decorating our house for themed days especially when I can display the lovely stitching from stitching friends over years. 

Today is Opening Day for Needlecraft Haven Spring Exchange. As I'm not stitching just now I couldn't finish my ornament that was for Julie but I found a few Spring themed decorations and included the required threads with a few treats.

My exchange parcel was from Mini, her first exchange with Needlecraft Haven. I feel very spoilt, thank you Mini for my gifts and ornament.

Mini also sent an ornament for my church tree, this year's theme is 12 Days of Christmas.

I haven't written much as it's hard work and slow going using my left hand. I have today managed 10 minutes stitching left handed, I can hold fabric in my right hand but not for long (I don't use a frame as I am working small pieces)

My cast is on for another 4 weeks, hopefully I can slowly build up to holding my fabric longer and maybe other things to make things easier.

Oops .... stitching on hold

Well what a to do, my stitching has taken a pause although I hope to have a go over the weekend. 

Last week whilst on holiday in Tenerife I tripped in the heavy rain and have broken my right wrist, along with a bruised right eye (my glasses), bruised left hand and two bruised knees. I was checked over in Tenerife and my wrist supported with a half cast and thankfully we flew home as planned. I'm now being looked after by our local hospital. 

As you can see from the photos my eye was quite bruised, I don't look great as it's hard to do your hair one handed but I did try to still enjoy our holiday (the weather was awful)

Before we went away I finished and posted a couple of gifts for our Great Nephew and Great Niece who live in the United States. He's just turned one and I stitched a name plaque as I did one for his sister when she was younger. The chart is Rag Doll Alphabet by Durene Jones, I had to adjust the character as the chart is just girls.

For our Great Neice I made a beaded bracelet. It's been many years since I did any beading and I really enjoyed it. I'd like to do more time permitting with my stitching projects being delayed.

I did manage to stitch Day 6 of my Jo Verso's 12 Days before my fall. I really do hope I can stitch soon, it's holding the fabric in my right hand that is difficult. I do need to add the red beads and the number 6.

My friend Mary has kindly lent me the chart for Just Nan's 12 Days, they will look great on the tree. Mary has kindly stitched Day 1, I have some ideas  how to finish them all but I'll do the once they are all stitched. Thank you Mary, it's lovely.

I'm hoping to catch up blog reading now I have spare time, happy stitching everyone.

Another two flowers

I have been working on the church altar cloth and have completed two more flowers, that's four in total now. 

I did find it quite fiddly as I had to undo some previous repairing as the colour was wrong, too red, and then I needed to darn the fabric to have something to stitch on. 

This was how it looked when I picked it up from the church in January.

This is the four flowers now I have finished them and close ups of each pair.

I'm waiting now for the church to purchase the gold thread as I would like to add the gold to these four flowers before I do any more so I have a reference to work from.

I have also finished Day 5 of Jo Verso's 12 Days, they are fun to do and don't take too long.

Thank you to everyone who has pledged a 12 days piece to add to my church tree this year, you are very kind. 

Last day of winter

Tomorrow is the start of meteorological spring, let's hope the sun knows this as it's been very wet so far this year. 

Our second amaryllis is in full flower and we have some beautiful mini daffodils out too. My camilia is looking amazing this year although quite early.

I have finished Day 4 of Jo Verso's 12 Days of Christmas, hopefully I can stitch at least the next three this month although I have other projects to do and we're away for a week. They will be my holiday stitching as easy to take in my travel project bag.

Hopefully the sun will shine in March so I can get more done on the church cloth, the days are getting longer too which certainly helps.

February Stitching

I've stitched Day 3 of Jo Verso's 12 Days of Christmas for my church tree. Thank you to everyone who has offered to stitch a day, it will be a great display. I'm 3/4 of the way in on Day 4.

Earlier this year I stitched Tom Mouse that was a very old freebie from a magazine. I didn't have the chart so stitched from the picture, only to find the chart in my stash after I had finished. I have now made him into a card using stickers to add a bit of shine.

It's birthday month for our son's girlfriend, she is only a few hours older than our daughter so two February birthdays very close together. 

I stitched an owl bookmark for son's girlfriend as she is an avid reader and loves owls.

I decided to stitch our daughter and bookmark too, I always stitch her something for her birthday. She doesn't read much but does like a book to hold rather than read on a tablet, she loved her bookmark and popped it straight into her current book.

I'm still working on the church cloth and will post an update soon. 

Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day 💗 

It's 40 years ago today that Hubby proposed and I said yes 🥰

We're busy today so had our Valentine's meal last night, a lovely bottle of Prosecco (red roses from Hubby) and a great Cote du Rhone from The Wine Society (we visited them last week - blog link) pictured with my stitchy tree.

Today is opening day for the Valentine's Exchange at Needlecraft Haven. This is always a non-stitchy exchange which Mary organises, this year we sent handmade (but shop bought) soap. Gill sent me a lovely bar of Alban Eilir from Lush along with a beautiful handmade card.

I sent to Christine, my parcel gift was a handmade Sea Buckthorn and Sweet Orange soap from one of the craft shops in town and I added a bag of sweets and some threads (not a requirement of the exchange).

I hope you all have a great Valentine's Day celebrating love and friendship.

Church stitching

Last week I had a meeting with the church to discuss the altar cloth. It was definitely more repair than restoration and I explained about how the goldwork had either disintegrated or previous stitchers had cut the holding threads ready to remove it. 

I also wanted to check that my work was what they expected and wanted. I have done 26 hours so far, removing the old threads and securing loose threads, as well as stitching the main flowers, smaller flowers and other small designs.

The photos show how each piece was and now I've stitched, I have completed two flowers.

This photo shows the whole area I have done, before and after.

I also researched the gold thread as on one section it was replaced but looked quite brassy. I realised that was artificial gold and thanks to the Golden-Hinde who are gold thread specialists I know which real gold to use. The church are going to look into purchasing this so for now I am concentrating on the stitching. 

The next flower has had previous repair but the colour is wrong (too red) which you can see on the main photo. My first job is to darn across to replace the background or there is nothing to hold my stitches. I am hoping not to remove the red but overstitch in orange, the red will then give me a background to stitch onto.

I have stitched two pieces for my church tree in Jo Verso's 12 Days of Christmas. They are an easy stitch and I have replaced the French knots with beads. Looking in my stash I found quite a few off cuts of Christmas fabric which hopefully will be the perfect size to use for the backing.

Thank you to everyone who has offered to stitch a 12 days ornament. It can be any of the 12 days, no need to make up either. By posting the finished piece as fabric in a card any postage will be minimal especially overseas.

My stitching time may be slightly reduced this month. I don't mind at all as our son and girlfriend have a puppy, they just moved into their own owned house and have wanted a dog for ages but couldn't have one when renting. 

Say hello to Maple, she's only 10 weeks so for a while we're on puppy sitting duties when they are both out until she gets used to being left. She is lovely, she adores them and is settling in well, they only picked her up Friday.